1993 Mercury Cougar Engine Problems

1993 3.8 L BLEW A HEAD GASKET AT 97K. $1200 OUT OF MY POCKET. I DON'T EVEN MAKE THAT MUCH A MONTH. I WILL NEVER BY A FORD AGAIN. *JB

NHTSA ID

10064599

Incident

Mar 30, 2004

Mileage

97,500 mi

1993 COUGAR HEAD GASKET BLEW AGAIN . *AK

NHTSA ID

10058740

Incident

Feb 10, 2004

Mileage

105,850 mi

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE ALUMINUM HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS SIZE ENGINE BECAUSE THE GASKET WRAPPED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10055564

Incident

Oct 21, 2003

Mileage

101,000 mi

MY 1993 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 HAS BLOWN A HEAD GASKET TWICE (ONE AT 80,000 MILES AND ANOTHER AT 120,000 MILES.) AND AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET ENDLESSLY I HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE TO MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO TRY AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047283

Incident

Nov 19, 2003

Mileage

120,000 mi

HEAD GASKET BLEW @ 114,000 MILES ON 93 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8 V-6 ENGINE. TWO REPAIR SHOPS HAVE STATED "EVERYBODY" IN VEHICLE REPAIR BUSINESS KNOWS THE 3.8 ENGINE HAS GASKET PROBLEM TO THE POINT THE GASKETS BLOW IN ONE OF TWO PLACES. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF CAR AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED. UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOME 3.8 FORD ENGINES, BUT NOT THE '93 ENGINE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10013863

Incident

Apr 1, 2003

Mileage

114,806 mi

CONSUMER STATES IT IS HARD TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT TAKES NUMEROUS TRIES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB

NHTSA ID

10002522

Incident

Jan 6, 2003

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH EXHAUST SYSTEM. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. TS

NHTSA ID

8021688

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE THERMOSTAT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. TS

NHTSA ID

8021687

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING, SMOKE /STEAM CAME FROM THE TAIL PIPE.HAD VEHICLE TOWED. HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN OUT. *AK

NHTSA ID

8017773

Incident

Sep 1, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

763617

Incident

May 24, 2002

FORD MOTOR CO. FINALLY AGREED TO PAY ALL BUT $535 TO REBUILD THE MOTOR, HOWEVER THEY REBUILT IT WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS. SO, AT 80,000 MILES THE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AGAIN BECAUSE IT IS HAVE THE EXACT PROBLEMS AGAIN. I PERSONALLY KNOW AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 3.8 MOTOR. I ALSO KNOW THAT A CLASS ACTION LAW SUITE WAS DISSMISSED REGARDING THE 3.8 MOTOR WHICH WAS REPESENTING THOUSANDS OF OF OWNERS. *AK

NHTSA ID

762296

Incident

Mar 20, 2001

THIS IS A WRITTEN COMPLAIN REGARDING A COMPANY RECALL ON REPLACING HEAD GASKET FOR ALL MERCURY COUGAR (3.8V ENGINE) 1994 AND UP. I OWN A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 3.8V ENGINE WHO HAS THE SAME ENGINE PROBLEM AS THE 1994, BUT THE MERCURY COMPANY DECIDED TO HAVE A RECALL ON ALL 1994 MODELS ONLY. WELL, I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE RECONSIDER SINCE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM APPEARED TO MY CAR AND HAD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE HAS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. HOWEVER, THEY COULDNT DO IT UNDER THE MANUFACTURE RECALL DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE CAR BEGIN 1993 AND NOT 1994. I HAD TO PAY $1000.00 OUT OF MY BUCKET TO HAVE IT DONE BY A MERCURY/LINCOLN DEALER, WHICH I FELT IT WAS UNFAIR TO BE GETTING PENALIZED FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OF. I TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND MY ENGINE HAD ONLY 63,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLOWN WITHOUT GIVING ME ANY SIGN OR INDICATIONS. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING AT MY PART THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. THEY ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE PROBLEM, BUT STILL CANNOT DO IT ON THE COMPANY EXPENSE. IN LIGHT OF THIS, DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET GOTTEN BLOWN, IT DAMAGED OTHER PARTS IN CAR WHICH THE DEALER GAVE AN ESTIMATED COST OF $800.00. I REALLY CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT THE MERCURY COMPANY IS VERY AWARE OF IF AND EVEN ADMITS THAT THEY HAVE A DESIGN PROBLEM ON ALL 3.8V ENGINE.*AK

NHTSA ID

760480

Incident

Mar 30, 2002

CONSUMER STATED FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WAS SMOKING EXCESSIVELY. TOOK TO DEALER AND DEALER INDICATED HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. NLM

NHTSA ID

8006608

THE ORIGINAL ENGINE AND THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE IN MY 1993 MERCURY COUGAR HAS FAILED ME. IS FORD MOTOR COMPANY OFFERING COMPENSATION FOR THIS ENGINE ISSUE?*AK

NHTSA ID

759385

Incident

Jul 1, 1998

WHILE DRIVING 30-50MPH, VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING. ANTIFREEZE STARTED COMING OUT OF TAILPIPE AND MIXED WITH OIL IN THE ENGINE. TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INDICATED HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

8004368

Incident

Feb 9, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

757382

Incident

Jan 17, 2002

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY, WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK *YD

NHTSA ID

8002312

Incident

Jan 11, 2001

PAID 3,200.00 FOR A USED CAR FOLLOWED MY GIRLFRIEND HOME AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MUFFLER AND IT HAD A SWEET SMELL.THE DEALER TOLD ME THE MACHANIC SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR WHEN WE BAUGHT IT AND THE NEXT DAY AFTER WE BAUGHT THE CAR IT WAS OVERHEATING SO WE CALLED THE DEALER (LARRY)BUT HE WASNT THERE AND THE GUY I TALKED TO SAID NOT TO WORRY THEY'LL FIX IT OR REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER CAR BUT TO CALL BACK AND TALK TO LARRY FIRST SO WE CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND HE SAID HE COULDNT HELP US BUT OFFERED TO FIX IT BUT WE HAD TO PAY FOR IT.FEELING WE ALREADY GOT SCREWED BY THEESE PEOPLE WE WERENT GOING TO RISK IT. SO WE FINALY TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MACHANIC AND HE SAID THE CAR HAD A BROKEN HEAD GASKET, AND THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SO NOW I PAID HIM 850.00 FOR ANOTHER ENGINE AND 550.00 FOR LABOR (SO TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT WE WERE SOLD A CAR WITH A BUSTED HEAD GASKET AND WERE LIED TO. *AK

NHTSA ID

756915

LEFT HUB IS STARTING TO GO OUT..THE LOCK IS STUCK ON MY IGNITION SWITCH SO I CANN'T CRANK MY CAR..MOTOR MOUNT BROKE.*AK

NHTSA ID

756460

Incident

Jan 1, 1999

HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT NOT THE FIRST TIME I OWEND FORDS & THIS HAPPEND!!NO MORE FORDS FOR MEEEE!!! ALL JUNK BOXES.*AK

NHTSA ID

749735

Incident

Jun 20, 2001

DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND SHUT DOWN- BROUGHT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED. ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 3.8 LTR ENGINES. *AK

NHTSA ID

747413

Incident

Jun 6, 2000

THE HEAD GASKET ON A 1993 MERCURY COUGAR 3.8 LITER V6 FAILED AT 66999 MILES ON 8/20/97 PAST THE WARRENTY PERIOD. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE HEADS ALSO OCCURRED REQUIRING MACHINING AND REPAIR TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $1,548.65 WHICH INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: HEAD REPAIR, HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT, COOLANT REPLACEMENT, SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT, THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT, VARIOUS GASKET REPLACEMENT, DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT, O2 SENSOR REPLACEMENT, AND OTHER MINOR REPAIRS. REPAIRS TOOK 7 DAYS TO COMPLETE. DEALER WOULD NOT COVER COST OF REPAIR UNDER WARRENTY. FORD WAS ALSO CONTACTED AT THAT TIME BUT SAID THERE WAS NOT A GENERIC PROBLEM AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. *AK

NHTSA ID

747280

Incident

Aug 26, 1997

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGES WENT UP, AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM EXHAUST PIPE THAT SMELLED LIKE FIRE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, MECHANIC STATED TWO HEAD GASKETS WERE BAD. MECHANIC REPLACED TWO HEAD GASKETS. *AK MECHANIC STATED THAT HEADS WERE WARPED VERY BADLY DUE TO THEM BEING MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. *SLC

NHTSA ID

890454

Incident

Jun 9, 2001

ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID LEAK GOING INTO GASKET, CONSUMER HAD GASKETS AND COVERS REPLACED. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

889638

Incident

Jun 4, 1998

FORD EXTENDED WARRANTIES FOR 1994 & 1995 3.8L ENGINE BECAUSE ADMITTEDLY, FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. THIS WAS OFFERED TO OWNERS OF MUSTANGS, THUNDERBIRDS AND THUNDERBIRD SUPERCOUPS FOR 100,000 MILES. I'VE CONTACTED FORD FOR THE SAME OFFER AS I PAID OUT-OF-POCKET FOR MY BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, ALSO TOWING. *AK

NHTSA ID

746399

Incident

Apr 1, 2001